


Remember the Fallen

by NickelbackVEVO



Category: SpongeBob SquarePants (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Bisexual Character, Depression, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff, Gore, M/M, Mental Illness, Minor Character Death, Multi, Murder, Navy, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self Harm, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Vietnam War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 18:56:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15443640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NickelbackVEVO/pseuds/NickelbackVEVO
Summary: Mr. Krabs may seem hardened. But that is only because of his exoskeleton. In truth, he only acts the way he does as a result of the horrible things he had seen in the Navy.This is the story of how Mr. Krabs built his fast food empire following his deep depression.(P.S. even though this story is mostly a joke, there will be discussion of suicide and depression. again, it's all for a comedic story, but if you're especially sensitive to that stuff, it's probably best not to read this)





	Remember the Fallen

**Author's Note:**

> HEY THIS IS A COOL THING: i made a hunger games simulation with some of the more notable characters i've written about. go to the brantsteele hunger games simulator and use the code 42cKi4ID to load it. it's extremely stupid and i've been able to kill a few minutes with it

Mr. Krabs was a depressed man. An  _extremely_ depressed man. In fact, he was damn near suicidal. He was one of the "brave few" who signed himself up for military service during the Vietnam War. And holy hell, did he regret that decision every day of his life. He was just a young man when he saw his fellow fish brutally murdered in the war. At first, he was beyond furious at the communists for their actions, but as time went on, he began to understand that his side had been an initiator in the conflict. Mr. Krabs felt a tremendous amount of guilt for his part in the conflict. By the end of his deployment, he wasn't the same young crustacean he had been when the war started. He was sad. He felt empty.

He almost killed himself on several occasions, but he kept going. He kept going because of his beloved Plankton. Plankton was a friends with benefits of sorts. They could be best of friends one minute, and the next they were exchanging handjobs, careful not to accidentally cut off one of their dicks due to Mr. Krabs' claws. It was just a thing they had going on.

Until the day it stopped.

Mr. Krabs had fallen hard for his friend, and he decided to tell him.

"Ye see, Plankton...I love ye!" he exclaimed.

"I....Krabs. I just don't feel the same way," Plankton replied.

"Plankton, please! Ye be me bestest friend in the whole sea!"

"But that doesn't mean I love you!"

"If ye cared about me, ye'd tell me why ye don't want ter be with me!" Mr. Krabs yelled.

"It's because I'm building my own computer wife!" Plankton finally confessed.

The two just stared at each other for a minute until Mr. Krabs finally asked, "Ain't I enough fer ye?"

Plankton stared at the ground (which wasn't too far from his head given he is a microscopic organism). "No. You're not."

"I see. Goodbye, Plankton. I'll see ye in hell." Mr. Krabs stormed out of the room, vowing to never love again.

 

While Mr. Krabs seldom felt romantic affection after that day, he'd be wrong in his assumption that he'd never love again. For one, he found solace in monetary gain. The more money he hoarded, the more luxuries he could afford, and the happier he became. But he was still beyond desolate after leaving his friend. Until he came across a gruesome scene.

Mr. Krabs was on the bad side of Bikini Bottom. He didn't like to come here often, but the only hardware store in the city was in this area, and halfway through a bathroom remodeling he realized he needed some plumbing parts. On his way home, he stepped into a puddle of blood. He was disturbed to say the least, but he heard a baby crying, and he knew he had to investigate.

In the alleyway lied a couple of whales. They were recently shot, and they were beyond hope of rescue. In the one whale's arms lied a baby whale, crying out of hunger, shock, fear or maybe a mix of the three. Mr. Krabs picked up the infant and held it close. "Thar ye go. Ye be safe with me, little girl. Don't worry. Ye'll be okay." Mr. Krabs took out his shellphone (ha.) and dialed 911, keeping the infant company until police arrived at the scene.

 

The two whales were never positively identified, and neither was the murderer. As such, the baby whale was made a ward of the state for a brief time before Mr. Krabs adopted her. He gave her the name Pearl. Why? He fucking liked pearls; it's not that deep. Regardless of the shallow name meaning, there was nothing shallow about Mr. Krabs and Pearl's relationship. He cared for her deeply, and despite his hiccups as a father, he was an overall amazing parent.

Many years later, long after Mr. Krabs had established himself as a reputable businessman, a teenaged Pearl asked him where she came from. Mr. Krabs simply answered, "Ye were adopted. Teen mother er somethin'." She bought the story, content with this explanation. Sometimes such a lie is better than the truth.

 

With a young daughter to care for, Mr. Krabs knew his part time jobs weren't going to cut it anymore. He had little professional experience outside of the Navy, and he knew he had to do something drastic. So he started a business.

He built the Krusty Krab from scratch, using the last of his savings to invest in the business. "Dear Neptune," he would pray, "don't let me restaurant die. It's all me and me daughter have..."

Sure enough, the restaurant was a success. Even with his former lover opening a restaurant across the street, he was able to build his business to the point where he was the wealthiest crab in Bikini Bottom.

But things were not perfect for Mr. Krabs.

He still had his demons. Violent flashbacks could occur without so much as a moment's notice. They were so debilitating that he would often lock himself away for days, neglecting his business and his daughter. It wasn't because he didn't care. He did, and it pained him to do this. But the outside world was full of reminders of what he had seen. What he had done. He still remembered the first time he used his rifle to shoot a fish. It was in self-defense, but the next time was not. He understood how manipulated he had been at the time, having been deceived all his life by military worship and his nation's imperialistic tendencies. But that realization couldn't bring those men back. They couldn't bring his friends back. They couldn't bring  _him_ back.

That was when Mr. Krabs attempted suicide. He used a crisp dollar bill to slit his wrists while Pearl was away at a sleepover. Fortunately for him, his cashier Squidward Tentacles found him, having sensed something was wrong. Mr. Krabs was quickly rushed to the hospital where he made a full recovery. He was placed on suicide watch and placed into the custody of his loving mother. The entire time, he told Pearl that he had a kidney stone and that he was fine. Another example of his desire to shelter his daughter from the trauma he had gone through.

During the weeks he lived with his mother, Mr. Krabs began to reflect on his life. He was obviously loved, and despite his materialistic nature and previous actions, he was still a good man. It was time for him to get help.

Therapy was a difficult process for Mr. Krabs. He had a tough time opening up, but over time, he began to discuss his past, his current situation, and his goals for the future.

As Mr. Krabs finally began to recover, he understood that he could not hide the true nature of the world from his daughter forever. He sat her down and told her everything. His military service. His relationship with Plankton. Pearl's mysterious and bloody past. Mr. Krabs' suicide attempt. All of it. It was a lot to take in.

"Daddy, why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Pearl asked.

"Pearl, darlin', I didn't want ter hurt ye," Mr. Krabs admitted.

"You know that I'm proud of you for how far you've come, Daddy. And it definitely hurts to hear about my past, but I'm glad you told me."

They hugged it out for a while before Pearl asked, "Daddy, can we go  _shopping_???"

"Sure we can, darlin'," Mr. Krabs replied with a smile.

 

Fast forward to now, and Mr. Krabs is happier than he has ever been. He has a lovely daughter, a thriving business, and a healthy sum of cash. Of course, he had these for years, but only now does he fully realize how lucky he is. He has never fully defeated his demons, nor does he ever expect to. Despite his progress, he still has flashbacks, and he still has depressive episodes. But by seeking help for his mental illnesses, he has managed to become a happy person, no, a happy crab.

Mr. Krabs didn't become stronger through his struggles. He was always strong. It was his resilience, his love, his willingness to get help, and his financial security that allowed him to see a therapist and receive quality healthcare that made him realize this.

**Author's Note:**

> this one felt...kinda dark? like sure it's a spongebob squarepants fan fiction, but it was honestly a little disturbing. idk this is just what happened. like literally just change the characters and it's really kinda weird


End file.
